Sweet Lemon Pickle

Overview
I love pickles and like to try all different kinds of pickle. This sweet and hot pickle accompanies any Indian rice or Indian breads. Use fresh juicy lemons for this pickle. Cut lemon pieces has to be mixed with turmeric and salt  and kept in a clean air tight jar for 4 weeks for the lemons to soften. This lemon mixture is used to make this pickle. The three big flavors in this pickle are hot, sweet and sour and they compliment each other to make this pickle very delicious.

Sweet Lemon Pickle

Sweet Lemon Pickle Ingredients 

Ingredients
Lemon pieces cleaned and cut in to quarters - 2 1/2 cups
Turmeric - 3/4 teaspoon
Red Chilly powder - 4 teaspoons
Fenugreek seeds - 2 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder 1 teaspoon
Garlic 10 cloves
Ginger  - 2inch piece
Brown sugar  - 1/2 cup
Oil 3 tablespoons
Curry leaves optional
Salt as needed

Steps
1. Clean the lemons and pat them dry. Cut them in quarters. Mix with turmeric and salt and keep in a clean jar for 4 weeks. Shake it every day for the juices to mix with the lemon pieces. After four weeks these lemon pieces become soft and pickled.
2. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and powder that and keep aide.
4. In a blender grind the garlic and ginger to a smooth paste and keep aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the curry leaves if using. I like the flavor of curry leaves.
6. To this add the garlic ginger paste. Saute well till all liquid as evaporated. Add the red chilly powder to this. Mix well.
7. Add the pickled lemon pieces to this along with the brown sugar. Mix well. Add salt if needed.
8. Add the fenugreek powder and asafoetida powder to this and mix well. When this mixture begins to boil turn off heat. Bring to room temperature and transfer to a clean jar.

Serve with any Indian Rice or bread.

Shrimp Curry with Cococnut Milk

Overview
A special shrimp dish from Kerala made with fresh coconut milk. Fresh coconut milk does add a sweet aroma and flavor to this dish. You can use canned coconut milk too for this dish. Kerala Tamarind(Kodampully) adds a delicate sour taste to this dish. This shrimp curry goes very well with plain rice.

Shrimp Curry with Coconut Milk

Ingredients for Shrimp Curry

Ingredients
2 cups shrimp cleaned and deveined
1 1/2 cups fresh grated coconut
Thin sliced ginger - 2 tablespoon
 Green chilly split in center - 6 - 8
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Thin sliced onions 1 medium
Garlic 1 teaspoons thin sliced
Chilly powder 2 teaspoon
Coriander powder 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Kerala Tamarind (Kodampully) 3 - 4 slices
Salt to taste

To Garnish
Oil 3 tablespoon
Shallots thin sliced - 3 tablespoon
Curry leaves 1 sprig

Steps
1. Clean the Kerala tamarind in water and soak in warm water and keep aside.
2. In a blender pour 1/2 cup warm water and grate the coconut. Strain the coconut milk 1/2 cup first milk and then 1 cup second milk and keep aside.
3. In a pot mix the thin sliced onions, ginger, green chilly,garlic and curry leaves with the chilly powder, coriander powder and turmeric. Add salt and the Kerala tamarind along with 1 cup water.
4. Turn on heat and bring this to a boil. Cook this mixture covered on low heat for about 5 minutes.
5. Add the second coconut milk mix well bring this to a boil. Add the cleaned shrimp to this and cook for about 5 minutes till it is cooked. Add the first coconut milk to this bring to boil and turn off heat.
6. In another pan heat the oil. Add the thin sliced shallots to this and fry till the shallots turn golden brown. Add the curry leaves . Turn off heat. Pour this oil mixture over the prepared shrimp curry.

Serve hot over plain rice.